FALL GROWING GUIDE · REGION II
When to plant
cucumbers
in West Texas.
A fall cucumber planting still needs enough frost-free growing time to produce. Its place in the calendar comes earlier than many cool-season leaves.
AVERAGE FALL PLANTING DATE
August 1
Direct sow · Frost sensitive
A recurring regional reference from the 2014 Extension guide. This is not a forecast; the source does not specify a closing date for this crop.
What this means for your garden.
The source groups a broad western swath of Texas into Region II. Its calendar sits between the Panhandle and the central region, with midsummer starts for many fall vegetables.
For cucumbers, the regional reference is August 1. The source provides no last optimum date for this crop. This is a large region with differences in elevation and exposure. Use the calendar to organize your plan, then check your county Extension advice and the conditions in your bed.
Your next three steps
- Choose the right start.
Look at maturity information and your local frost outlook together. The average start in the table is not a guarantee of a harvest.
- Give the plant a good first week.
Choose a variety and support arrangement that suit the available space. Check new seedlings and the surrounding soil rather than watering on an inflexible schedule.
- Keep a record you can use next season.
Save your planned date, then change it to the day you actually plant. Record completion in My Garden; the reference calendar stays separate from your own history.
WHY LOCATION MATTERS
One crop. Five different calendars.
How the same crop’s average date compares with West Texas.
Texas PanhandleJuly 1517 days earlierCentral & East TexasSeptember 131 days laterCoastal South TexasSeptember 1040 days laterRio Grande ValleyOctober 161 days laterSource, scope & a little context.
Table 1 supplies average fall planting dates. Table 2 supplies last optimum dates only for the crops it lists. Figure 1 defines the five historical gardening regions; these are not current USDA hardiness zones.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension · Fall Vegetable Gardening Guide (EHT-056) ↗Dates: Table 1, p. 2. Region: Figure 1, p. 3. Source checked 2026-09-27. Editorial care notes are general planning advice; your county Extension office can refine them.
Read our methodology →